Rail vehicle



1935' c. DE SAINT-MARTIN 2,012,260

RAIL VEHICLE Filed June 13, 1932 INVENTOR CHARLES DE-SAINT-MARTIH Awm Patented Aug. 27, 1935 r 4 ..I..RAIL,VEIHICLE i I} Charles"defSaintFMartin, Paris;Francetassignor 7 to Michelin 'Et Cie,Clerm0nt-Ferrand, France, I acorporation'of France 'I Application ,Jiin is, 1932;srialinolcmeei InErance June 13, 1931 .7

; 5-Claims 01, 10543) l The invention relates to a rail car, and gam ularlytoa self-propelled car. ;V It is an object of the invention to efiect a greater'flexibility of such a;,c,ar, by [dividing the 5 power unit from the iisefuluload carrying unit, and at the same time usingicommo,n,,.means for supporting. the adjacent ;ends of i the power and loadcarrying units. y. 5 This object is attainedin large measureby mak- 10 ing the power unitamulti-wheeled truckcarrying a motor andanoperators cab, and having means thereon for pivotally supporting the adjacent end of a trailer unit to allow the; vehicle to proceed around curved tracks.

.Another object of the invention is thimcar keep continuously in service. The invention is also characterized by the compact arrangement of the drive and the arrangement of drive-atthe frontof the car thereby propelling it withgreater tractive effort, the tractive wheels being under 0 the greater load under all conditions ofv'service,

since they carry themotQrandother deadload:

ings. ,l l v 5 p. The suspension .is an underslung suspension tending toward greater stabilityjandalso tending to bring the truck tcarryingthe power unit; and the end of the traileradjacent thereto in can: tered relation to the track, thereby limiting the flange rub on the side of ,therails. According to this feature of the invention, the body'of the 40 trailer unit is suspended from the truck, of the power unit andfrom a truck at the end remote from the power unit by two connecting links articulated, for example, bya'universal .joint, such as a ball and socket joint, on the one hand tothe-body under frame and-0n the other, hand to the truck framefor example, to a cross mem ber connecting the truck .side rails; ,A means is provided for pivotally connecting the truck I and body to permit the easy operation around '50 curves andfor taking the traction and braking come apparent from the drawing' formingj ap'art' 55 hereof and the detailed description "following:""

In'thedraWing:

- Fig. l is a View in side elevation of a rail vehicle according to the invention." Fig.'2 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing the forward part of the vehicle in partial central longitudinal section. Fig.13 is adiagrammatic transverse sectiona view showing the suspension'and guiding connec' tion between truck and body, unit. I i 'As shown in the drawing, the rail vehicle of my invention comprises-the power and driving unit 'A 'an'd the trailer unit 'Bfsupported on frontand rear swivelled trucks C and D. "The power unit isaself-contained unit comprising a six wheel truck, 'the'wheels being designated at to. These wheels are-arranged on three pairs of stub axles spaced longitudinally from one another and extending -transversely of 'the frame. The front set of stub :axles is indicated at H, the'second set at l2 and the rear set at 3. These -"axles are suitably sprung from the truck:

frame by the cantilever springs letl'Iherear.

stub axles are fixed non-driving axles, while the front and"i'ntermediate sets of stub axles H and p 12 aredrive axles connected to drive-the four wheelsconnected-therewith. a

'- The truck frame-comprisesside beams i5 and '16, and any suitable number of transverse and diagonal interbracihg*rnembers,-one of which comprises a transverse beam ll between the two rear axles. Thefront' driven-axles are preferably jshort stub axles 't'ernn'nating short of the central portion of thetru'ck, thereby. leaving a space for the location of "the motor I8-at the front of the truck in a lowswun'g relation between the short stub axles over a" fixed cross member 19 offset downwardly at -the center and secured to the side beams of the truck. The drivefrom the motor 18;, which is shown to be a usual type of internal'combustion motor having its crank shaft l1 substantially in line with the axles I I and I2, is rearwardlythrough a usualform'of transmission 18'," through-propeller shaft 'l9'; to a differential 2B driving-the wheels on the driven axle H2, The propeller shaft is providedwith the usual-universal joints zlandzz, i M w The forward wheels I are'driven from the short 'stu b axlesl I connected thereto by a driving connection from the rear driven axle, the lateral portions of 'this axle being provided for this purpose with'sprocketwheels asi25- connected by a 'chainf as 24; to; similar sprocket wheels, 'as;23,

on thejfrontwheel "axles. H Itwill thus be seen that avery compact arrangement of motor and cated at a level just above the frame of the truck upon which the entire cab structure is suitably secured. The transverse rear wall 32 of the cab terminates slightly in rear ofthe axlelZ and is provided with a door way opening, as 38,

affording a communicating passage with the trailer unit B to be described. At; front. and: sides the cab is provided with windows as. 34.

affording clear view ahead and to the side.

The lines of the side, top and bottom walls of the cab merge, to produce a stream. lineeifect,

into the, lines of;.the.forward. portion of. the body 35 of the trailer unit,

Thetrailer unit comprises thebody. 35, having, doors and, window openings. and. havirg, a main compartment 3.6-. between, thetrucks from whichit issuspendedto receive the passengers. The floor 31 of this compartment is, dropped down low to provide a low. center ofgravity and the easy riding qualities that go, with it, and the entire body, superstructure rests upon two main longitudinaLbeams-(ifl, extending below the floor line and extended at, each end as at, 39 under the truck frames. It isfromthe ends of thesebeams that the body is suspended from the trucks ina manner to be described.

The end of, the, body adjacent the power truck has a forward extension over the truck frame and forms a: baggage compartment 40 having its floor 41 substantially on a level with the floor of the cab. Its front transverse wall 4 l is close- 1y adjacent the rear transverse-wall 32 of the cab and isprovided with a doorwayopeningfl communicating with the door wayopening of the cab. The rear wall- 43 of thiscompartment 40 is likewise provided with a door way opening 44 to: afford passageway between it and the passenger compartment 36-. Steps- 45. may be provided between the two floor: levels. l

The front beam extensions, 39; are connected by a. crossmember 46- carrying, a king pin 41 having a pivotal connection withthe bearing block 48 carried by the, transverse member I! of the truck frame. This pin and bearing. allow the truck and trailer topivot relative to each other when, going around curves, and take the traction and braking forces between. the two units.

The pivotal connection 41, 48. is substantially in the vertical plane of the forward wall 41 of the trailer body superstructure, and thecab and trailer flooring has a free overlapping relation in substantially this plane. which permits this pivotal movement without interrupting the con.- tinuous floor surface. Such constructions are well known in the railway art and need not be further detailed herein.

The weight of the body is borne, from the trucks by the articulated links 50 and connected on the one hand tothe transversemember ll of the truck and on the other hand to the front endofthe body under frame. The articu lated connection. may be in the form of. ball and socket joints 52;, permitting a limited universal movement, when turning a curve. I By this conmentcushioned as by springs 54.

struction, it will be seen that relative turning movement between truck unit and trailer body tends to cause a slight raising of the body, so that the weight of the body, in straight-away running, always tends to keep the truck centered on the track.

To, prevent undue deflection of the projecting ends of the beams, diagonal braces indicated at 53 may'extend up into the body framing, not

. shown.

'The rear portion of the trailer body may be supported from the rear truck D in a manner entirely similar to the support of the front end fromjthe power unit truck C.

To; permit. slight lateral movement between the truck and trailer in rounding a curve the bearing "may be'allowed a limited transverse move- To this end the, bearing maybe mounted through bars 55 on opposite sides thereof in bearing brackets 56 projecting downwardly from the truck frame. The springs 54 encircle the bars and are arranged between the bearing block and' the bearing brackets and serve to cushion the shock of a sudd'ensharp-turn, and return the body to'a centeredrelation afterturning a curve. Transverse shocksto the trucks due to track irregularities are also absorbed in this way. and not transmitted to thebody of the trailer unit.

' Toenclose the space between the rear wall. of

the cab and thefront wall of: the trailer body superstructure, against the entrance of dirt and weather and to avoid an unsightly gap, yet permit the pivotalmovement between these parts, a flexible diaphragm 49 of the bellows type may interconnect the margins of theunits and bridge the gap between them.

' Whilethe inventionhas herein been described in accordancewithaspecific embodiment, it will be understood-that, it is capable of being embodied in numerous modified forms, allof which will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and all suchchanges and-modificationsare intended to beincluded-within thespirit and scopeof the appendedclaims.

What I- claim isz- 1. In a rail vehicle; a wheeled truck having a frame, a. body having an underframe extended under the truck frame and pivotally. suspended therefrom, said body extended over the truck frame but free tomove-relatively thereto, said body supported by the underframe.

2. In a rail vehicle, the combination of a truck frame, a body having an underframe extending under the truck frame and having an articulated connection therewith, said connection comprising a. central= swivelled connection, and laterally spacedsuspension linksinterconnecting the body underframe and truck frame.

a V 3. Ina rail vehicle, the-combination of. a true frame, a body having an underframe extending under the truck frame and having an articulated connection therewith, including laterally spaced universally movable suspension links and a central swivelled connection. permitting limited relative lateral: movement between the truck frame and the body-underframe.

4; In arail'vehiclethecombination of a truck frame, abody having an underframe extending under the I truck a frame andhaving an articulated connection therewith, said connection comprising a centralf'swivelled connection, havinglimited lateral movement and means for cushioning such movement, and laterally spaced suspension links interconnecting the body under-frame and truck axles and extending forwardly thereof, acab on frames. said truck, and disposed abovethe intermediate 5. In a rail vehicle, a truck, three pairs of stub 'pair of stub axles, and a trailer unit pivotally axles on said truck, one adjacent each end of said supported by, said truck at a point adjacent the V 5 truck and'the third disposed intermediate the rear end thereof and between the intermediate 5 ends thereof, wheels on said axles, a power plant and rear pairs of axles. f I

carried by said truck between the forward pair of CHARLES: SAINT-MARTIN. 

